Jak: Legend
by Hold on hero
Summary: Time travel, Metal-Heads, the return of Gol, splitting Alter Egos, Bro and Romance...what could possibly go wrong? Find out the lost lineage of Mar and follow Jak as he goes back in time to build Haven. J/K, after TLF.
1. Off to a Rousing Start

**I decided I need to commit myself to a fanfic, because I never write them anymore, and this fandom needs a good story that doesn't have a chick with blue hair.**

**Pretty much J/K, Dax one-liners, and everything you would find in a game but more, because ND would never put this much romance in a video game.**

**So, anyway, this takes place right after Lost Frontier. Only they never went on that adventure they said they were. They went back to Haven, to, well...take a vacation. But what they got was nothing short of another adventure.**

**Time paradoxes FTW.**

**Let's go!**

Jak sat up straight in his bed, and hit his head squarely and promptly on the bunk above him.

He cried out in shock, and his hand flew to rub the slowly growing bump. "Dammit..." he mumbled. That was the third time that week he had awoken from a nightmare, only to give himself a concussion in the process. Maybe he should have slept on the top bunk.

He swung his legs off the edge of the bed, being sure to duck as he thrust himself upward and out of the sinking mattress. Here at HQ, his quarters weren't exactly comfortable, but they were better than nothing. Small and quaint, they were for soldiers and commanders and consisted of six bunk beds. He asked Torn to make sure there was a place to sleep as they were flying home.

Upon arriving home, there was a celebration. Jak, Keira, and Daxter had returned from their flight back to Haven City with no complications. They were out near the Brink, looking for a way to help the falling eco stores. It turns out, the Eco Core had been out of balance, and they sought to fix the problem and align the prism that was trapped inside.

Torn had offered Jak the position of general, because of his past efforts. Politely (or however politely Jak could be), he declined. It wasn't his part to play. He needed to be out there in the action, not guiding the newbies going in.

He strode purposefully out the door and into the main HG room. Ashelin was standing there, slightly leaning over the holographic display. Jak raised an eyebrow and checked the time on his communicator. It was only five A.M. What was she doing up this early?

"Ash?" he called out groggily, still a little drowsy from his restless sleep. "What are you doing up?"

She glanced up to him and, as if realized what she was doing, straightened her back and looked to the floor. "Jak...I didn't know you'd be up."

He shrugged and walked down the steps leading to the holographic viewer. Lights flashed about him, and he thought absentmindedly that it was too early for him. He studied the planetary viewer and scrunched his eyes up.

"What's going on?"

Ashelin shrugged as well and folded her arms behind her. She was uncomfortable as anyone would be. Her and Jak had history, however much he'd like to deny it, and however little history that might be. But she was still slightly attached to him.

"Just a little rumble in Haven Forest. I've got some scouts on the job, now. They seem to be doing a good enough job."

"Not as good as I could do," Jak smirked at her. She averted her eyes before she could blush.

"I guess you're right," she laughed. "But it's too late to send you in now."

Jak looked at her seriously, trying to decipher what was wrong. Why was she all blushy and avoiding his eyes today? He and Ashelin were very good friends, and he didn't understand what he did to make her forget that. "What's with you? It can't be one little scout mission keeping you up."

"It's...nothing," she muttered. It sounded like she was convincing herself, and she mentally kicked herself. Of course it was something.

"You should go get some sleep," he advised. She agreed silently. "You need to be rested if you're going to be the governess."

The doors to the elevator opened suddenly, and Daxter rushed in. He bounded over and hopped onto Jak's shoulder, as if it wasn't five in the morning. Ashelin looked relived to not have to be in the same room with Jak all by her lonesome.

"Jak!" Daxter shrieked. Jak rubbed his temple, trying to rid an oncoming headache. "Listen, this is important. You see, I was watching the news down at the Naughty Ottsel, and _man_, you are not going to believe this!"

Jak froze. Daxter, watching the news? This must be good.

"What, Dax?" Jak asked.

Daxter grinned. "They're talking about Mar again. The whole lineage thing. I wasn't really watching, but they said your name. Basically, there's this religious group who thinks you still have to do a bunch of stuff that has to do with your destiny. But I don't know if-"

"Wait up," Jak said quickly, stopping Daxter in his tracks. "You mean there's a group of people who think I have a destiny to fulfill? Are they insane? I've saved the world. Four times. Isn't that enough?"

"Apparently not," Daxter concluded. "Anyway, I kept watching, and they had a few lines about Mar. Dude, have you ever drawn the connections between you two?"

Jak thought a bit. He knew he was _related_ to Mar, he just didn't know how. The greatest warrior who ever lived must have passed down some good traits to him, or he wouldn't have gotten this far. But honestly, he never saw any direct parallels.

Daxter sighed. "So unobservant. This group thinks that you're him. They think you have to go back in time to build Haven city. Isn't that wild?"

Jak laughed bitterly. "Because that's likely. Why would I ever want to change Sandover?"

"I dunno, dude. But they had some pretty good evidence to back it all up. You've never considered it? Not even once?"

Jak shook his head. The idea of going back to change his childhood into this living Hell was something he had never considered. He often found himself getting angry at Mar for changing all of his memories into dark, disturbing ones. Jak had always had a little rivalry with his ancestor.

"It honestly sounds like a conspiracy theory," Ashelin said, waving the subject off. "I wouldn't worry about it, Jak. Some people can be totally crazy these days."

They were right, and Jak knew it. He just didn't want to say anything conclusively, with the fear of being proven wrong. "I'm going to go take a trip down to the Naughty Ottsel. Will you be okay here, Ash?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I'll manage. Just be on call for a mission."

He did a half solute with his two fingers and nodded back. "Will do, ma'am."

As they were on the elevator, Daxter stared at Jak in surprise. Jak, turning away from his best friend uncomfortably, began to get annoyed at his gaping expression. "What?"

"Ash?" Daxter said bluntly. "Are you kidding me? Who calls her Ash? Even Torn calls her by her real name!"

"She's my friend, Dax!" Jak said defensively. "I can call her whatever I want."

Daxter rolled his eyes and folded his furry arms. "And it has nothing to do with the little fact that you two totally made out."

Jak started to blush, and hopped on his JET board when he got out of the elevator. "It wasn't making out."

"Then what was it? A mouth inspection?"

Jak blushed even more, but he hid it well as he pulled his scarf up to his face. He zoomed through the slum area, taking in note that the rebuilding was going quite well. Maybe someday they'd have this place looking shinier than New Town. "It was just a kiss. It didn't mean anything."

"It didn't mean anything. You _have_ to be kidding. Precursors, she's hot, I don't blame you. And there is the whole issue with Keira. But you have to admit, you liked her."

Jak shook his head. "A little, I guess, but not as much as...her. Anyways, what's with all the romance talk? You know I hate mush."

"No, I hate mush. You're all for it. I'm just owning you at this conversation."

Jak scowled, annoyed, and stayed quiet the rest of the way.

**I tried to be longer than I usually am. It's around...1,400 words. Better than normal.**

**So, what do you think of my plot building? Nightmares, romantic conflict...**

**And I brought the Bromance back. ;D**

**Didn't you miss it?**

**-Hero**


	2. The Briefing

**Why do so many people hate Keira in our fandom? D:**

**Just browsing around, looking at all these stories and NONE of them are JxK. None. This saddens me. She's so cute! Come on, man. Their romantic conflict is only blatantly obvious.**

**I also realized that I'm the only one that thinks the Dark Eco made Jak able to talk in prison. Heh. My symbolic self and I.**

**So, yeh, let's get this over with before I lose interest. xD**

**A few things first. I wrote an outline since I had written the first chapter, and I've got it all planned out. Basically, Jak went to the Naughty Ottsel, spent the day there, and fell asleep. Hah. I wish I started on this chapter. It makes more sense.**

**This story will be a long one, actually. Basically describing the founding of Haven City, in which I give an actual purpose to the Life Seed. :D**

**K, here I go!**

"Ready?"

He just stared. Of course he was ready. He did this everyday. He knew he didn't have a way out of it, so he just stared, his blue eyes darkened by the dull light of the cell.

The commander sighed. "I suppose you never are. Come now, Jak. We don't have all day. We spent all of our funds on you."

Jak kept staring emotionlessly into the older elf's eyes. "At least I know you're not torturing anyone else."

A silence filled the room. It was overpowering, as if daring the commander to make a move. Jak knew he wouldn't. After all, who would want to go up against a monster? A creature the commander himself created? No one in their right mind would mess with Dark Eco.

Then again, Erol wasn't in his right mind.

"You should be happy," Erol spat. "Grateful. We made you unstoppable, a weapon of mass destruction. Your powers didn't make themselves."

Jak rolled his eyes and clenched his fists. "You're right. You injected them into me. Thank you so much for ruining my life."

Erol's mouth transformed into a thin line, and his yellow eyes shined like fire. The darkness inside Jak laughed and cackled at his weakness. "That's right. You're the..._broken_ hero. The savior of the world."

Jak's eyes narrowed. "You think I'm lying?"

"No," Erol quipped, turning away with his hands behind his back. He began to pace the small cell. "Not at all. You're in our records. We know you defeated the sibling Dark Sages."

"And how do you know that?" Jak asked.

Erol smirked, to which Jak bared his teeth. "We aren't going to tell you that just yet."

Jak fumed inside, igniting his blood on fire. It's not like he could bust out of this place. They could at least tell him the name of the village he was in. Or what time he was in. He doubted it was the future, because the Precursors wouldn't let his race go this far into oblivion. Could it possibly be the past? Also unlikely; the past wouldn't have the right technology. Perhaps it was the present, and he was on another part of his world. Though how could any person run a village this sadistic?

Erol gripped his shoulder and pulled him off the tattered cot. Jak grunted as he was pushed out of the cell. He saw the chair in the distance and he screamed. It wasn't a scream of fear, but rather one of pain, as if the mere sight of the metal monstrosity caused him to be stabbed by a thousand knives. His head began to spin, and he fell to the ground. Only he fell through the ground, and he started falling, falling...

"Gah!" Jak yelled, sitting straight up. He was panting heavily, a cold sweat soaking his chest. He heard a thump as Daxter hit the floor.

"OW!" Dax shouted indignantly. "What the hell, Jak! Do you have to wake up so violently?!"

The blond elf rubbed his temples, trying to calm his heart and his breathing. "Sorry, Dax. Another nightmare."

Daxter stared at his best friend in confusion. "What exactly are these dreams about? You're pretty torn up about them."

Jak picked up Daxter's pillow from the floor and placed it next to his. Daxter hopped up and curled himself into a ball on top of it. At night, Daxter slept near Jak, feeling awkward by himself. They had been through so much together that it felt almost unnatural to be apart. So, they slept closely, ready to tackle anything at a moment's notice. "More flashbacks, really. About prison. They're just so real, I feel like I'm still fifteen and struggling with my powers. It's different from just a nightmare, Dax, it's like I'm really there."

"Yeah, well, cut it out," Daxter grumbled drowsily. "I can't be woken up every night because you want your little _poopsy bear_."

"Sure, Dax," Jak nodded. He lay back down as he heard Daxter's first snore, but he didn't fall asleep until Green Sun.

-

When he awoke, it was dauntingly bright. He squinted and rolled over, only to find Daxter had scurried off somewhere. He threw his legs over the edge of the bed and walked into the main room of the bar.

The second he walked in, something was thrown at his head. He caught it, looked at it, and then saw it was his family seal.

"Morning, hero," Keira said brightly from the bar. "Thought you might want that."

Jak shrugged as he walked over to her. "It's not mine. It's my father's. Besides, where did you find it?"

She glanced at him with her jade eyes, which reflected the slightest bit of suspicion. "In the dirt outside of the Old House. What's that supposed to mean? Did you drop it or something? Or maybe...?"

As she trailed off, he looked away pointedly. He had thrown his seal down in rage after visiting the Old House the other day. Just looking at the ramshackle hut made him so homesick he got angry. He could still smell the ocean, the air, and he could still feel the sun kiss his skin and burn the tops of his ears. But when he opened his eyes, he was in the future again. There was brown water below him and smog in the sky, and Samos's hut was dead of life and decrepit.

"It's nothing," he mumbled. "Just...I miss Sandover. A lot. I wish we could go back."

She smiled at him. "Then, I have good news. Amazing news, really."

"What?"

"We can go back," she said bluntly. "The Metal Heads have the remains of the Rift somewhere in their newly build nest. Theoretically, we should be able to make a new rider and go through it."

Jak's eyes lit up. "That's what they meant!"

"Who?"

"That one religious group who thinks I have a destiny to fulfill. I guess their evidence was the fact that the Rift still existed, even if it was in pieces. Maybe...I really am supposed to go back."

"Well, all we need to do," Keira began, "Is build another rider and we can go back to Sandover."

"And fill out this destiny I'm supposed to have," concluded Jak. "I guess that's why you gave me my seal."

"It was only fitting." She smirked at him and pointed to the paper she had out in front of her. "Now, look at this. Obviously, the Metal Head nest is still intact, though damaged. It's probably still guarded by the very strongest Metal Heads. This might be a final blow, Jak. I need you to get to the center, grab the Rift pieces, and get the hell out before they destroy you."

Jak almost laughed. "Are you kidding me, Keira? I can't lift those pieces. I'll need a plane, and I'll raid their new tower."

She glared at him, putting her hands on her hips. "I know. I've updated the Hellcat with a Vulcan Cannon and an Armageddon. You'll fly in, shut down their outside defenses, and raid to the center on foot."

He smiled warmly at her. "I love it when you try to boss me around."

She hit him hard on the shoulder. "Shut up."

"So, I suppose I just have to go on another adventure, huh? Fine. I'll come back with a plane full of our ticket back home." He grinned assuredly, and Keira knew he wouldn't back down from his word.

"I'll work on the rider in my garage while you gather it all up," she concluded. "Where's Daxter? He'll kill me if he doesn't get to go on this with you."

Daxter slid across the counter top in front of them, as if appearing from nowhere, and both elves jumped. "I'm right here, baby! You call, I'm in!"

"The plane's waiting in the HQ hangar," she concluded. "Be careful, at least. Those are probably some strong Metal Heads in there."

Jak scoffed. "Please. We're the demolition duo, remember?"

**You like that little TLF reference I made? ;D**

**Jak has his Mod gun, because it just...needs to be that way. All of the mods are there.**

**I get to write an aero-battle next chapter! Yay!**

**What'dyou think?**

**-Hero**


	3. Raiding the Nest

**So sorry for the delay! The holidays took me over for a few days. D:**

**Thanks for all the story alerts; it's nice to see someone's reading this. I hope I make Chapter Three pretty okay.**

**Basically, air battle ensues. Hopefully, I'll have the fourth chapter up before too long.**

**Here we go!**

As he walked into the hangar, he saw the familiar glint of perfectly sculpted metal. He smirked to himself as he saw the _Interceptor_ waiting for him. It seemed to be calling him to it, telling him how fast he could go if only he just strap in.

He climbed inside, just barely squeezing into the cockpit. Daxter scurried around, trying to find a comfortable spot, but to no avail, as he ended up squished between Jak's shoulder and the glass of the cockpit.

"Just great," he mumbled. "This'll be a fun trip."

Jak just chuckled to himself. "Don't worry, Dax. With this plane, we'll be done in record time. I just have to find a way to get through their defenses with the weaker armor system."

Daxter's eyes widened, and he turned to Jak, horrified. "You mean we're going against _that_ with _this_? Are you insane?! I don't think you understand; we can't fly. Well, you can. But I can't. And if we blow up, there won't be anything left of us."

Jak shook his head. "You've got me. Don't worry! It'll be over before you can say 'over'."

Daxter gripped Jak's shoulder armor and wrapped his tail in the red scarf that was tied around the elf's arm. "Whatever you say, big guy. Whatever you say."

Jak turned on the main thrusters first, as there were no propellers to use. He pushed the shift back and stressed the gas, sending them soaring up and out of the hangar in a burst of burning eco. Jak whooped as they reached above the highest building in New Haven without so much as a finger twitch on the controls. He did a barrel roll to straighten out, and then zoomed off in the way of the new Metal Head tower.

The new tower, which had been built a few weeks after the last had been destroyed, was located in the old nest. Unfortunately, the Freedom League wasn't able to claim back the agricultural area of Haven City quite yet, and it was still partly overrun with Metal Heads. The tower, which consumed far less space than before, loomed over a significantly less piece of territory than before.

As they soared over the green muck and gas at breakneck speeds, Jak began to wonder if the Metal Heads would ever truly be defeated. He sometimes wondered if they were his fault, as well. Did he not let them into the world in the first place, by opening the Rift? Would they have even existed had he not pressed the Heart of Mar gem? His mind began to whirl whenever he got to this time paradox. He understood the majority of his life, but when it came to why things came into existence, like the name "Jak" or the Metal Heads, he simply couldn't understand it.

He let up off the gas as they got closer to the intimidating tower, which was a few hundred feet taller than the last. Though the design was relatively the same, it seemed to mock him like never before. He brought up the back wings, keeping them dynamic as they slowed down. His eyes scanned the area, ready for enemy ships or Metal Air Gunners.

"So, uh," Daxter began, as he looked around. "Where is everyone?"

"Hmm," Jak answered, not really knowing himself. It was unnaturally quiet; even a regular day around the nest wasn't this silent.

"That sounds reassuring. Maybe...they're on vacation."

"Nice try."

Then, just as they passed into the territory of the tower, a barrage of fire hit Jak's left engine. He cursed and swerved right and down, looking over and checking the damage. It was smoking, and Jak bit his lip in uncertainty before telling Daxter to go repair it.

"I'm not going out there!" Daxter shrieked. "I could fall off!"

Jak rolled his eyes. "So, Metal Heads are a no-go, but when it comes to a _sky pirate_ battle, you're just ready to hop up? Besides, if you don't fix it, we'll go down and have to face them faster without any of their defenses lowered."

Daxter scowled, grumbled to himself, and crawled out to the left wing. As he started his repairs, Jak warmed up his guns. He put his finger on the trigger of the Vulcan Cannon and fired.

A furry of dark eco-infused bullets came swarming out, hitting the base of the tower, or the entrance to it. He wasn't aiming for anything in particular, it was just a way of saying, "Good morning, I've come to kill you" without having to communicate. This was usually Jak's best way of doing things.

Almost instantly, a mob of ships flew out from behind the tower, as if they had anticipated the attack. Jak looked closely at the crafts; they seemed to be very angular, all looking identical in their gold and purple coloring. Metal Heads. Jak had no idea who was driving the ships, and honestly didn't want to know. So, instead of wondering more, he began to shoot, intending to ask questions later.

One by one, the ships went down in a flurry of fire, littering the ground and green muck below with scrap metal. Jak didn't bother collecting it, and Daxter climbed back into the cockpit of the _Interceptor_. The poor little guy's fur was caked with grease.

"Man, they really hit hard," he huffed loudly. Jak wondered if he was only slightly exaggerating, like the Daxter he always was. "Can't take many more of those. How're you doing?"

Jak shrugged as he took down two more planes. "As good as it's going to get, I suppose. How many ships d'you think there are?"

Daxter glared at Jak. "That's a really stupid question, considering the Metal Heads never seem to stop reappearing. If Keira's right, and this is the last wave of 'em, it'll be a damn good day."

Jak nodded. Fire from another plane wrapped around his precariously, threatening to take it over. But the orange flame passed, and soon he was close to the tower. Looking around, he saw only a few straggling planes. He decided quickly that he wasn't going to worry about them, and he boosted towards the docking bay near the middle of the structure.

Suddenly, he was rocked forward, and his plane did a forward flip before righting itself automatically. He was just bumped, but now a barrage of enemy fire was aimed towards him. He tried to shoot them all down, but he was overwhelmed, and the shots took out his engines.

"Aw, are you kidding me?!" Dax screamed. "Seriously?! We can't ever just go in and come out! You have to make it _complicated_!"

He aimed for the docking bay, preparing for a rough landing. With Daxter screaming in his ear, he managed to pull the ship into the bay. But it was badly damaged, and there was no way he was getting it fixed soon enough to get the pieces out.

He jumped out of the cockpit, looking to inspect what his enemies had done. He sighed when he looked at the engine, full of holes. Jak pulled out his communicator and dialed Keira.

"Hey, I don't think this'll be as easy as you said," he began tentatively.

"What? Why not?" Her voice sounded tinny from the communicator. Jak thought of a way to pick his words properly.

"They sort of...shot our engines. We're stuck here, and I don't think the plane'll be carrying any rift pieces."

He heard her sigh from the other end. "Okay, I'll send back up. In the mean time, you guys just try and survive. Be careful, okay?"

Jak nodded, even though she couldn't see. "I'll try."

**OHNOES.**

**This just took so long to write, that I'll give it to you guys now. It was going to be longer, but I think chapter four will be extrasuperawesome~!**

**Bai! 3**

**-Hero**


	4. Finding the Rift

**My name is Hold on Hero, and my hoodie has fancy thumb holes in the cuffs. ;D**

**So, I stayed up until 5:30 AM last night for New Years, and it's 12:30 AM on January second. I am tired. Very tired. It sucks. And I've just realized that maybe Jak 3 didn't suck as much as I claim, and now I feel stupid for insulting the Precursor reveal so much. D:**

**Whatever, I'll stop rambling and write. xD On with the death match of doom! Don't worry, the plot comes in Chapter Five.**

**Enjoy!**

He climbed out of the cockpit bearing a nasty burn on his left arm. Glancing back at the plane, he saw smoke curling out from the engines, and the wings were slightly bent. He felt as though it was angry at him, so he gave it an apologetic look saying he'd be back for it later. He started walking away from the wreckage.

"Alrighty," Dax hugged, his tiny claws gripping Jak's shoulder guard. "Try to survive. How hard can that be? We do it everyday, right?"

"We don't do it directly in the Metal Head Nest," Jak pointed out. He equipped his Beam Reflexor and placed his finger on the trigger. "Just keep your eyes open for Rift pieces. That's what we're here for."

Daxter flicked his eyes around the Nest. "Jak, I never understood how a mission to you can never simply be to survive. That's what our orders are: _to live_."

"But _first_, she told us to look for the Rift pieces, "Jak said smugly. "Besides, I want to get home. Don't you?"

Daxter shook his head slowly. "I'll never understand you, my Dark Eco-fueled friend. You're just crazy enough for me to ditch you. I don't know why I—"

"Shh!" Jak quietly hushed. He readied his gun and scanned his eyes around the Nest. "Did you hear that? It was like a rustling. I wonder if..."

He stood completely still, feeling the ground for vibrations. Something was moving towards him, but he couldn't tell what. One thing was for sure, it was quiet.

Too quiet.

Suddenly, the ground erupted into a shower of rock and dirt. A Metalpede roared as it loomed at least twenty feet in the air. Its legs twitched as a great sound emanated from its throat.

"Ah, shit, come _on_!" Jak shouted, and he ducked for cover. He hit the rumbling ground hard as the beast dove back into the rubble. Quickly, he switched his gun to a Super Nova and realized he only had ten shots left. He had to make this count.

As soon as the beast burst out of the ground, Jak fired so he wouldn't miss the shot. The world exploded in white, and all sound faded from the world. He shut his eyes tight and when he opened them, the Metalpede was gone and there were no more vibrations.

"Crap, that was close!" Dax exclaimed. "But now you don't have any ammo."

Jak nodded. If another Metalpede attacked, he'd have no way to defend himself, other than his Blaster, which was useless against its hard armor. They had no choice but to hide and wait for Keira's backup. But not only did that leave him defenseless, it was like giving up. Jak's eyes hardened and he moved upwards. The design of the Nest was fairly similar to the last one, with huge chasms stretching far below the small walkways. A foul stench rose from the ground as if it produced the stench.

"This place is nasty," Daxter commented unnecessarily. "I mean, it's worse than _your_ old bedroom. That's pretty terrible. And you, my friend, were one messy kid."

"Yeah," Jak agreed, though not really to Daxter's insult. "I feel like this place is stronger than before. I mean, we are dealing with the last and most powerful Metal Heads."

Daxter growled. "Mangy beasts. Isn't 'Hora-Quan' Ancient for 'Dark Ones' or something?"

"I think it's _really_ ancient. The letters don't match up. But I'm pretty sure you're right."

Jak learned Ancient Precourian a long time ago, when he was just a toddler. Samos told him how it translated and how it was pronounced, and even though he wasn't fluent, he knew a good number of words and phrases. 'Hora-Quan' was a term he first heard in Mar's Tomb, from a Precursor oracle.

Dax sighed impatiently. "It's too quiet in here. I feel like they're watching us."

"That's comforting," Jak said sarcastically. He couldn't seem to shake a similar feeling. The Metal Heads seemed stronger than before, so they were most likely smarter. He shivered a little, thinking of the glowering yellow eyes watching him clutch his gun.

He heard a mewling noise and turned to it, ready to do anything to fight an enemy. It was completely silent, but there was a concerning darkness about the Nest. Through the darkness, he saw a glint of orange. As he stared at it closely, he saw it was a circular piece of Precursor metal. It was part of the Rift.

It was his ticked home.

"This is too easy," he said suspiciously. "They just left it out in the open like this? The only Rift left in existence?"

Daxter shrugged. "Maybe they hate us _so_ much they just want us to leave as soon as possible!"

Jak smirked. "Nice try. It's a trap. It's in the dark, out in the open, and exactly what we want. They just keep getting smarter."

"Let me guess," Dax groaned. "You're going to go straight into it, right?"

Jak shrugged. "Well, we need those pieces, and backup isn't here yet. So let's just do it."

"Your logic fails so terribly. All the time. No wonder you and Keira aren't together; you're just too stupid."

The elf glared at his best friend, who shrugged. Slowly, Jak approached the Rift piece, gun at the ready. He was surprised as he touched it and for a good ten seconds, nothing happened. He stood stock still, waiting for something to pounce. But nothing did.

"Uh, okay," he mumbled, as he gripped the small piece of metal and lifted it effortlessly. Still, nothing jumped at him. He was beginning to wonder if it was just his good luck that allowed him to get what he wanted without conflict.

But as it turns out, Jak's luck was never that great.

About six Stingers popped out of the ground as if they spawned from dirt. They scurried towards him, their tails viciously raised, and he plucked them off with his Blaster. When they were all gone, Jak let his guard down. It was a huge mistake.

A Grunt attacked him from behind and clawed at his back. He cried out and tried to recover, but another Grunt came up and knocked his gun out of his hand. He gritted his teeth in anger and flung his arm behind him, only to hit air as the Grunt dove under his punch and brought him to the ground. Daxter jumped on the Grunt, shouting various obscenities as another mumbled Jak as the elf lay on the ground.

"Ge'off me, you bastard!" Jak mumbled, trying to throw it off with his arms. He threw punches randomly, but none of them connected. In the blur of the battle, he was clawed in the face, and his world began to spin. He was almost out of consciousness, when he heard a gunshot.

The Grunt flew off of him, and Jak started coughing. His ribs felt crushed. The gun kept firing until every non-Elvin thing was dead.

Jak looked towards the source of the shots and felt his heart swell in happiness, relief, and surprise. He smiled at her before spitting some blood onto the ground.

"You can't even cover your _own_ ass," Keira laughed. "Some hero, getting saved by a girl."

"Well, you seem to be doing that a lot, lately," he laughed along with her, only to groan at the pain in his chest. "Mmghgah...ow...So, where's the backup?"

She looked sheepishly away. "Um, I'm it. Did you find the Rift pieces?"

"I found one, which means they're all around here," he said, pointing to where he found the piece. Sure enough, after they dug a little through the dirt, they were all sitting there, waiting to be taken.

_Mission accomplished_, Jak thought.

But it wasn't over yet.

**Well, the Nest part is. But the rest of the plot isn't. :3**

**Again, sorry for the delay. School is terrible. Any reviews, or if you spot any mistakes, would be appreciated. Thanks. :D**

**-Hero**


	5. Past and Future

**HEYYY**

**So I should be doing homework and working on a Girl Scout encampment thingamajig, but that's annoying, and this is fun. :3 Guess which wins?**

**Thanks for the reviews, however few of them there may be. I see those hits. I know what's going down. :P**

**Well anyway, this is gonna be a J/K chapter, because I'm lame and I like to scribble in romantic conflict. Plus, it's my favorite pairing. Ever. Like, more than Ed/Win and Royai and Fax and all that jazz.**

**So, after this chapter, I may or may not get into the intense part of the story, which I think all of you can guess what that is.**

**Enjoy!**

"Are you _sure_ you don't need anything?"

Keira sighed, ready to punch Jak in the face for his persistence. She was glad he was there to help her put the Rift Rider together, but did he need to hover over the work table every second of the day? It was obnoxious. She turned to him, a smile plastered on her face, and then answered him.

"No."

He looked at her with disappointment. "What did I do?"

She stopped smiling and revealed her true emotion, which was peeved. Glancing back at her work, she said, "Jak, I have a lot of work to do. Don't you have Metal Heads to shoot?"

He suddenly became very interested in his fingernails. "Torn gave me the day off."

"_Torn_ gave you a day off? Yeah, right."

"Well, I just don't feel like doing anything today," he said sheepishly. "Besides, is my presence really _that_ terrible?"

Keira thought for a moment. "Yes."

His eyes narrowed.

"Well, do you want to get home? This will take twice as long with you bugging me all day. And there's not much you can help me with-"

"-Not _much_?"

She looked at her work, which was still a metal frame of what she remembered. Now that she was studying it more carefully, she saw there were actually a few screws that could be tightened. She bit her lip and decided he might as well make himself useful.

"You could screw in those screws on the frame while I work on the back," she suggested, and he hopped up, grabbing a screwdriver and moving towards the frame. She had to figure out how to make the propulsion system have enough blue eco power to fling them into the Rift, just like before. Then, a troubling thought came to her mind.

"What are we going to do about the Heart of Mar gem?" she said, mostly to herself. However, Jak answered her.

"My eco powers are ten times better than they used to be. I could get the Rift working if I had enough dark, I think. As for the Time Map, we did have one, but we gave it to the Precursors when we used the Planetary Defense System."

"Well, we have connections with the Precursors," Keira said, smiling. "Maybe we can ask for it back."

"I don't think the artifacts will be the issue with this," Jak mumbled. "I'm more concerned about what we'll find on the other side."

Keira paused. Jak's words were ominous at best. "What do you mean?"

"We're going back to the exact second we left. Don't you think that there will be a few issues with Metal Heads there, too?"

She thought for a moment, putting her pencil down from working out her equations. "You think we're going to have to bring guns?"

"No," he said quickly. "That'll just screw everything up. We need to be prepared, though. Meaning, as soon as we're through, we need to be on our toes and ready to attack."

She scoffed. "You think we won't already be on edge from traveling three hundred years in the past? Don't worry about it."

But he couldn't help but worry about it. This was his past that he was going to, and it would be ravaged by the darkest creatures imaginable. What would they find when they arrived? He felt himself lean against the frame of the rider, contemplating situations in his head.

"Jak?" Keira said softly. "You're leaning on where I need to work."

He glanced down at her, his trance breaking when he realized that she had a wrench in her hand and he was in the way of her work. He shot off the frame, scratching the back of his neck. "S-sorry."

She waved her hand as she bent to work on the dash. She had admittedly been worrying about the past as well, but it wasn't quite as dark as Jak's imagination. She had been thinking about her old room, and whether or not they'd be able to enjoy the sunshine of Sandover Village again or feel the freedom of a living area that wasn't walled in.

She felt Jak's gaze on her, and as she continued tinkering with the wires, she asked nonchalantly, "Are you staring at my ass?"

Jak was, of course, caught completely off guard. "W-what? No!"

She stopped her working to turn around and stare at him.

"Maybe," he muttered, his eyes falling to the floor. She smirked at him.

"That's something that'll scare everyone back home," she said lightly as she turned to work on the wires again. Jak furrowed his brow and let the color fade from his cheeks.

"What do you mean?"

She sighed, throwing her wrench on the hood and sitting on her workbench ledge. "I _mean_ they'll be confused at your...change in character. You're different. Physically and mentally. They're going to be a bit scared by your nature in the least."

He shrugged. "If they're all alive."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Keira asked. She felt her voice falter as she imagined all of her friends...dead...

"You know what it means."

Silence fell. She stared at her shoes, wondering how they got to the point where they couldn't talk without some sort of silence ruining the conversation. He stared at her, wondering why he always had to screw up their conversations. He never seemed to fail at doing that. He was convinced her and Ashelin would be friends if he had never stepped in to try and introduce him.

"What do you think they'll think about us?" she asked quietly.

He tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Us?"

She rolled her eyes, but they never met his. "You know. Us. You and me."

Jak looked to the cracked floor of the garage again. Oh, _that_. Everyone back home had practically been planning their wedding up until the day they left. Well, everyone except Samos and Daxter. What would they say now? Jak, the dark, messed up hero still avoiding any kind of physical contact with Keira?

"I hope they don't notice anything different."

"Hope?" she questioned, walking closer to him. "Different?"

She was so close he could feel her breathing on him. His heart started beating faster and he couldn't look away from her eyes. "Keira..."

"What?" she asked, sounding hurt.

He stared into her eyes until he couldn't take it anymore, because the space between them was on fire. He wanted to tell her everything, pour his heart out to her, but he couldn't get his tongue to work right. He leaned into her, standing at least five inches above her.

That was when his communicator beeped and flew out of his pocket. Jak coughed awkwardly as he pushed away from Keira to read it.

"Uh," he stuttered. "Torn wants me to pick up some Eco for the FL out in the Wasteland."

She nodded curtly, her face fading from pink already. Jak was sad he had missed her blushing; he thought it was possibly the cutest thing he had ever seen. "Okay. Be careful."

He smiled, even though she wasn't looking at him, and he strode out of the garage.

"Damn it," she whispered.

**Blehh.**

**I don't like this chapter.**

**Whatever, more later?**

**Sorry for the wait. D:**


	6. Graves, Flashbacks, and Seals

**Guys, I am SO sorry for this wait. I went through midterms, and it was just generally a mess. D: Forgive me? PLEASEEE?**

**Ugh, because I wrote a novel early second quarter, I might have three C's. My grades dropped A LOT because of that stupid novel. I just hope my teachers decide to be nice, and I think my English teacher will give me extra credit.**

**  
Even though I should be doing notes, I decided to write. xD Hope you guys enjoyyy.**

**...:D**

It was pouring out, exactly like the last time he was here. The rain plastered his hair to his forehead because his goggles weren't on to cover his face. He climbed carefully over the last bit of rubble from the stadium, noting the improvement. Not only was the tent back up and running, the statues of Mar were being worked on so they could stand tall again. But at the moment, the construction and scaffolding were left out in the rain, haphazardly covered with tarps to protect them from the rain.

Jak walked silently through the still archway, lightning flashing overhead, while reaching into his pocket. Just as his fingers closed around the small bit of Precursor metal, he saw what he had walked all this way for. It was covered in moss, drenched in rain, and had become a home to a plethora of creepy crawlies, but it was still there.

His father's grave.

He took a deep breath, and then fully took his seal out of his pocket. He brushed his yellow hair from his eyes as he looked mournfully on the overturned vehicle. It was still tough to come and see where his father had died, but he did every once in a while just to pay his respects.

Even though the ground was soggy and wet, he sat down next to the overturned vehicle. Of course, now, the Wastelanders had moved Damas's body out from underneath the car in order to perform a proper burial. But the site was still here, and the spirit of his father was still here. The only family he had ever known he had, besides his uncle back in Sandover Village.

He loved his Uncle, even though there was never a reason for him to. Ever since he had first arrived in the village, his Uncle had been there. He watched over the boy, keeping a close eye on him as he grew up to be a strong teen. But Jak knew deep down that his Uncle could never substitute for a parent. Jak wasn't sure if his Uncle was even his actual uncle. That's just the way it was.

Clearing his throat, he looked at the grave. "Father. . . ."

The green moss seemed to be staring him in the eye disapprovingly. _"Why do you call me 'Father'?"_

Jak sighed. "Dad."

The moss seemed to soften, the rain becoming less intense.

"I might have to go away for a little while. Back to the past. But it'll probably be for only a few years at most. Just until I can get Haven City up over the village."

The moss darkened and the rain came in sheets.

"It's not forever!" Jak defended, almost shouting over the intensified wind. "It's just a few years! I promise I'll be back here one day."

He glanced at his Seal, glistening in his hand and dotted with raindrops. This seal was the only connection between him and the world of his family. The world he was never able to know. The world he so wanted to be a part of, just to ditch all of the hero roles he had to play out.

The clouds parted directly overhead, and Jak looked up to see the sun peaking though the gray clouds. Light reflected off the army of droplets, casting rainbows all around the grave sight. Jak looked back down at the vehicle, back at the moss.

"Dad?"

"_I need to show you something, Son."_

Jak allowed himself to be carried away in his mind, and a new scene unfolded before him. He was no longer in the rain and wind, but in the dry. He was an onlooker to a sort of vision, but this vision was very clear and precise. He looked down and saw nothing, but he was watching time unfurl before him.

A little boy with green tufts of hair on his head ran up to a tall man who stood looking out of a window. The window overlooked a vast ocean that seemed to stretch for miles.

"Daddy!" the boy screamed. "Daddy, Daddy! Look what I found!"

The boy held up a single daisy to his father. The man, who had a bald head and a staff in his hand, knelt down to the boy. "Do you know what that is, Mar?"

Mar shook his head, enthralled to know the answer.

"That's a daisy. It's a very rare thing to find in the city. Where did you get it?"

"From the Bazaar, Daddy," Mar answered. "It was only an orb, so I bought it with my allowance!"

His father smiled. "I'm glad you enjoy it, Son. We'll put it right here in the window so the whole city can-"

"Sir!" yelled a man in armor that burst into the room. "Sir, the city! It's under attack!"

The man, who must have been a king, stood up showing a face full of fear. "You mean . . . ? Metal Heads?"

The man in armor shook his head violently. "No, Sir. It's not Metal Heads."

"Then who is it?"

"It's your brother."

The king's face hardened considerably and he grabbed Mar's hand to lead him to the armored man. "Keep him safe. Move him to his room and make sure he is not removed until I return."

"Yes, Sir," the man nodded, grabbing Mar by the waist and picking him up. Jak's vision floated along, watching the man run down the hall with the boy. Jak could feel the boy's room was just to the left, but suspiciously, the man kept running.

The boy protested. "My room is that way! Daddy said to keep me in my room!"

The man swatted the boy on the forehead, and the youth cried out in pain. "Shut up, you little shit!"

The boy gasped as blood began to drip from his nose. He clenched his teeth and began pounding on the man's armor with his tiny fists. Unfortunately, it had no affect, and the man kept running down the hall until he met up with a monk dressed in a long brown cloak.

"Here he is," the armored man said, handing the restless boy over to the monk. The cloaked figure downed his hood, showing his face.

"Thank you, Agra," the monk said quietly. "I assure you, your family will be kept safe."

Agra nodded. "Anything and anytime, Father Veger."

The Father kept his hold on the child as he left through the door behind him. Jak's vision followed as they ran through the city streets, Mar crying the whole way. Many stopped and stared, but most were concerned with the fact that there were battles in the street. Many were shouting, "Long live King Damas!" while others were shouting, "Long live Baron Praxis!"

The boy bit down hard on Veger's fingers, causing the man to shout in pain and drop the child to the ground. Mar rolled to his feet and ran for his life, ripping through throngs of people. Veger shouted obscenities in his wake, but for now, the boy was safe. That much Jak could feel.

Suddenly, Jak was back in the rain, his clothes now thoroughly soaked. He saw the grave of his father dripping with rain, and the moss now seemed to be waiting for his response. Jak knew his father had sent him a vision of the day he was taken.

Jak felt his eyes begin to water, but the rain covered it up. He glanced one last time at the seal in his hands, and then placed it on the soft moss. He smiled as the moss looked on in confusion.

"Keep it," Jak said quietly. Tears began to roll down his face. "You need it more than I do. I don't deserve this lineage."

He stood, and even though the moss called for him to stay, he tore himself away from the grave site and started out of the stadium area.

"Goodbye, Dad," he whispered to the sky.

A communicator beeped, and it took Jak a few moments to realize it was his. Now encased in a crowd of people, it seemed society was keeping him cut off. He brought out the tiny device and said, "Show transmission."

Keira's voice came through, garbled and distorted. "Jak, it's done. Get out to the Wasteland, right outside the gate of Spargus. We have it all laid out and ready to go. Say goodbye to Haven."

Jak glanced around him, saw the lights and the people, saw the smoke and the smog, saw the rain and gloom falling from the sky, and decided he didn't want to say goodbye. He wanted to leave behind this sorry city and remake it to how he knew it could be. He smirked as he made his way to the transport.

"See you later, bitches."

**I lol'd. xD**

**I reallllly like this chapter. I may even post it on my dA. :3 I wrote this in a little under half an hour.**

**  
Hero Out!**

**Promise to update sooner!**


	7. Back in Time

**Is this any sooner updated? xD I try. Really, I do.**

**SO DID YOU GUYS HEAR that Nolan North, the guy who plays Nate in Uncharted, pretty much said there was going to be an Uncharted 3? I love Uncharted and all. But I was upset. Because Evan Wells promised me Jak PS3. Jerks. D:**

**Anyways, enjoy! This chapter, we go back in time!**

The Wasteland was extremely windy, and as soon as he stepped out of the transport, Jak pulled his red scarf over his nose and mouth. He breathed normally through the billowing sand clouds, and he saw his friends a little outside Spargus's gates. He smiled to himself; almost home, almost there.

As he approached the Rift and its Rider, he saw the Rift was already up in the air and emitting a strange purple light. Keira turned to him, a green scarf covering her face, and Jak saw a smile reach her eyes. He knew she was thinking the same thing he was. He knew she was beyond excited to finally be seeing home again.

"Can you believe it?" she asked him eagerly. "We're almost home!"

Jak nodded, trying to smile back, but couldn't quite get it up over the sinking feeling he had. Suddenly, he was reminded of his original fear; the Metal Heads. He wasn't necessarily afraid of them, because he had fought so many before. But he was absolutely sure that the village folk wouldn't be able to handle such attacks. What would happen when they arrived? Would it be the same as when they left? "What did you plug in for the coordinates?"

"The exact second we left, right in the village," she said proudly, obviously admiring the fact that she was able to figure out how to program the Time Map. Jak was told that the Time Map was a gift from the Precursors. They hadn't directly given it to them, but Keira said she had woken up to work on the Rider and found it in place already. The only logical assumption Jak had was that the little ottsels had given it to her. "Hopefully we won't get caught up and separated like last time."

Daxter hopped up on Jak's shoulder, an incredulous look on his furry face. "Hopefully?! You mean there's a chance it will? I thought you mad it sturdier this time?"

She shrugged. "There's always a chance."

"Oh, great," Daxter groaned. "Well, let's not blow up and try to keep this thing in one piece."

Samos waddled over, struggling from the wind. "Let's get this over with. Maybe one day, teleporting will be out of style. Though I doubt it's likely."

"D'you know what'll happen _this time_, Greenbag?" Dax snapped. "Because I'd like to not be surprised."

"I don't know anything about _this _future, Daxter," Samos answered sternly. "And even if I did, you know I couldn't tell you. That would impact the future too much."

Daxter grumbled something that sounded like, "Shut up, you old loon."

Jak turned to Keira, who was shaking her head slowly. "So, we'll show up at the village? Exactly when we left?"

She nodded. "We should end up in the village."

"Well, let's get a move on!" Daxter shrieked. "All this sand is givin' me a rash."

Jak glanced around at the unforgiving Wasteland one more time. He wondered if he would honestly ever see it again, like he promised his father. He hoped his old home wouldn't be destroyed by Metal Heads, even though he knew it was a slim hope to hold on to.

He climbed onto the Rider apprehensively, letting his eyes drift up to the Ring. It was spinning profusely now as they started up the machine. Jak punched his hand on the Heart of Mar that Keira had also been bestowed with. The Time Map popped up and started reading coordinates at record speeds.

He felt the engine start up, and in a blink of an eye, he felt the Rider lurch forward. They were in the air and heading towards the swirling vortex. The last thing Jak saw before the bright light was the flaming torch above Spargus. It was the torch that allowed all Wastelanders to see through storms and find their way back to the city.

They shot through the wormhole, trying to hold on as a rush of déjà vu hit them. Mostly, all he saw was purple. Pale purple. He felt Keira clench his hand as they approached a bright end. Daxter was screaming, but as they went into the light, his voice seemed to be swept away.

Suddenly, Jak felt himself being propelled from the Rider, his hand wrenched from Keira's, and he started to fall at frightening speeds. He was temporarily blinded from the warp's light, and he felt the air whoosh around him. He felt like a comet, flying through space, giving off a blue light that shined through the darkness.

Then he felt something envelope him in silence, the world above him imploding on itself. He rocketed down into nothing, the shadows finally beginning to show in his vision. When he saw that his clothes were wet and everything around him was blue, he began swimming to the surface of the sea.

He gasped for air as he reached the top, breathing heavily. He felt like his head was spinning too much, and that any moment he would be sucked back into a vortex. As the effects of time travel faded, he looked at his surroundings.

It was dusk, the sun setting beyond the horizon, filling the sky with an orange glow. It smudged into sienna and then into Prussian blue. The stars were just beginning to show through the clouds, and the moon began to rise. All around him was water, but there were no waves. It was completely calm, a wonderful balmy night that felt so different from the discombobulating feeling of the Wasteland.

It was then he realized that he was finally home. He could see the scenery around him, smell the ocean air, and taste the saltwater in his mouth. He was home, at last, after four years of dreaming about it. In prison, it was the only thing he wanted. Now, his dream was realized, and he could finally live in a place that didn't have to be walled in or run by guns.

He scanned the water's surface with his eyes. Keira burst out of the water directly behind him and Daxter appeared sputtering next to her seconds later. Samos was floating above the water, obviously aware that they weren't going to hit land the second they came through the vortex.

Daxter's fur was already starting to poof up, and Keira laughed. Jak couldn't help but hold back a chuckle.

"Shut up!" he yelled. "I can't help it if water makes my fur get all poofy!"

Jak helped his best friend onto his shoulder guard. Keira and Samos were both snickering at his shivering. That was when they heard the scream, a scream that seemed to cut the night in half.

Jak's eyes widened as he looked towards the village, noticing the empty feel of it. He started swimming with all his speed towards the shore. He waved his hands at his friends as he set his sights on the Fisherman's boat lying on the sand. They followed without question, and the four began to search the village.

It felt abnormal for Jak to walk on the grass that used to feel so simple to him. He used to take this village for granted, when he was fifteen and dying to get out and see the world. He remembered when his punishments were not being allowed to go to the beach the next day. He also remembered when those were the most of his worries. How he missed the days of his childhood, where he could laugh and play in the waters of Sentinel Beach with Daxter, forgetting everything around him and just loving being a kid.

Every hut was empty. All around him, he felt as though the air was so thick he could swim in it. He finally came upon his Uncle's house, which had been empty since he gave his so-called relative ninety orbs. As he stepped through the threshold, expecting to see a ramshackle hut and dust everywhere, he noticed something he thought he would never see.

His uncle was lying on the floor.

"Uncle!" he said with worry filling his voice. He rushed up to the old man and turned him over. The blonde haired elder coughed at the change in position, waking from his sleep.

His green eyes floated up to his nephew, and he gazed into the blue orbs with shock. "Jak...? My boy, you look five years older than yesterday!"

Jak couldn't help but let a small smile take his lips. "Yeah, well, it has been around that long since I've been here."

His uncle grinned knowingly. "You've been through time already, I see?"

"You know about that? But how?"

Samos stumbled into the small hut, glancing around at the old scenery. "I told your uncle of your destiny when I asked he help take care of you. He knows all about time travel."

Jak looked at Uncle admiringly. "How do you know about time travel?"

His uncle shook his head vigorously. "No, that story is for another time. I suppose you are here to fight those evil creatures? The ones with the yellow gems? They seemed to have knocked me out as I was trying to fight them."

Jak groaned in his head and glanced back at Keira, who was covering her mouth. So, the Metal Heads were infecting their childhood home. Jak felt rage bubble up inside of him, ready to burst. He clenched his fists in an attempt to hide his anger.

"The Metal Heads? That's not why we're here, but where are they?"

"It's strange," his Uncle began. "You see, as soon as they came through that Ring, they flew through the village and attacked us. But they didn't stop. They flew straight on north, some of them flying to Misty Island. I assume they went to the Silos."

Keira slapped a hand on her forehead in realization. "Of course! Dark Eco! The Metal Heads would be drawn to it. They have to be at the Silos trying to get it out."

"Then we have places to be, Uncle," Jak said to his relative. His uncle nodded sagely, as if he knew this was all going to happen.

"Jak, be careful," he said. "I know you think you know the Metal Heads, but they're very intelligent and unpredictable. The Silos are a dangerous place to fool around in. If they're not there, get out."

Jak nodded. "I will. I promise."

As they left the hut, running to the Warp Gate in Samos's Hut, his Uncle knew Jak couldn't keep that promise.

**Awkward ending, but roll with me here. xD**

**Hollly crap this was a long chapter. Well, sort of. Long for me. Anyways, I appreciate reviews! If you have any questions, just ask me.**

**I think you're awesome! Bye! :D**

**-Hero**


	8. Splitting Up

**Chapter Eight squeeeeeeee~!**

**Yay!**

**  
I'm superduper excited. This chapter was my plot bunny chapter.**

**ALSO NEW TIME RECORD FOR JAK 3. I beat it in 7:45. :D Yeah, that fast. I rock. Except at the mission with the Dark Maker Walkers, and also the mission withhhhhhhhh....actually I think that was the only one I had trouble with.**

**So yeah! I'm gonna play through Jak 2 again. My best time is 9:26.**

**Let's do this.**

**Enjoy!**

As they rode the elevator to the top of the silos, Jak, Keira, and Daxter all paced anxiously. What would they find when the lift stopped? Would there be Metal Heads waiting for them, or would they simply have to fight to live?

Curiously, when they could see the horizon again, there was nothing all around them. The silos looked exactly the same as they had five years ago, or rather, the same as they did five weeks ago. Jak still followed through cautiously, gazing down at the place where he had defeated the Dark Twins.

"Let's go down there," Jak quipped. "See what we can find."

Keira stared at him. "Are you kidding? There's nothing here. Let's just go."

He shrugged, breaking open a crate with his foot. Blue eco burst out, buzzing with energy. He saw the platform, waiting to be activated, and his blood seemed to pull towards the eco. "I just want to check it out."

Daxter hopped onto his shoulder armor and looked back at Keira, rolling his eyes. "Come on, Keira. It's not like anything could happen."

Keira looked at the ground as she walked over to the platform with her best friends. "Famous last words."

Jak touched the blue eco and began to channel it. He hadn't channeled blue eco since he had last been in this very spot, so it was something almost new to him. He felt the sensation of electricity shooting over his skin. It felt like being in a shower, only the water was instead electricity and it gave him the sensation of his arms being asleep.

Once Keira was safely on the platform, he hopped on, and they rode it down to the silo. It was nerve-wracking to be up this high, looking down at the grassy mountains below with nothing underneath them. They moved wickedly fast through the air and Jak was in awe at the skyline. He missed it so much, yet it felt so different.

They got off the platform and stepped onto the silo, the Precursor metal sounding like tin beneath their feet. Jak surveyed his surroundings, noting the four eco emitters that had saved his life. They had made Light Eco together, and he had used its awesome power to defeat Gol and Maia. He smiled to them, appreciating their power.

"Jak, look over here."

He followed Keira's voice over to the center of the silo, where the opening was actually open just a crack. He scrunched up his eyebrows; what had done that? It's almost impossible to open a silo, even if this one had indeed been previously opened. Jak put his hands on his hips as she bent down to look at it.

Suddenly, the dark eco beneath sparked and shocked her. She cried out and grabbed her hand as Jak rushed over to her. Keira bit her lip and waved him away. "It's nothing. Just a shock. Don't worry."

He looked at her like he wanted to say something, but before he could open his mouth, he saw the dark eco moving abnormally in the silo. He pushed Keira back and looked at it, suspecting. The eco was now out of control, bubbling over the edge. Jak frantically pushed Keira to the platform and she got up to run. He got her on and was about to use his eco energy to power it, when he felt something grab his leg.

He was abruptly pulled back into the eco silo and he grabbed the ledge to keep himself from falling in. The eco hit his legs like fire, and he cried out as he tried to struggle. Quickly, he tossed Daxter off his shoulder and onto the top of the silo.

"Jak?!" Daxter screeched. "Jak, hold on!"

Keira sprinted over and held on to his arms. "Jak, come on, pull up!"

Jak tried his hardest to keep a good grip on her hands, but it felt as though the eco was pulling him down with arms. He screamed as the eco began to creep up his body, burning him and reminding him of torture. He looked Keira straight in the eyes and said, "Go."

She stared at him, shocked and confused, and proceeded to shake her head violently. "No. No, I'm not leaving you here, Jak. Come on, pull up!"

"I can't!" He answered through gritted teeth. "Just go! I can't risk your life along with mine!"

She was crying now along with Daxter, as they watched their best friend being pulled to his death. Jak himself was biting back tears, but it was because the pain was searing through his mind. "Just go! Now! Get back to Samos and help build Haven!"

"Jak! No!"

It was the last thing he heard as the eco gave one final tug and Keira had to let go. She fell on her back as the silo closed violently. Tears were rolling down her face as she looked on at the entrance.

"Oh, God," Daxter whimpered. "No...Jak..."

--

He was floating in darkness, his eyes closed and his body on fire. He didn't have a clue where he was, or what he was doing; he just knew he existed. Slowly, he cracked his eyes open and saw nothing but purple all around him. Then, he felt himself falling, spinning, and spiraling down deeper into the purple. When he finally hit the ground, he was in a sort of tunnel. All around him, eco was cascading down the walls and he was sitting in a puddle of it. Shakily, he got up and tried to walk.

He instantly toppled over, feeling as though he hadn't used his legs in weeks. As he looked downwards, he almost cheered with joy.

He was free. Dark was free and in complete control of this body. His claws extended at least six inches, and as he felt his forehead, he could touch his horns. Never had he been in complete control. He noticed that Jak was unconscious, somewhere in the back of his mind, and he grinned. Finally, some free time.

Dark began to walk through the corridor he was in, and he first saw that dark eco was everywhere. Besides the platform he was walking on and the walls around him, everything was drenched in it. He assumed he was underground, because he didn't see any windows.

As he continued walking on the narrow platform suspended above the pools, he saw an end to the tunnel. There was a large throne that seemed to be made of dark eco crystal, and Dark automatically found himself being drawn towards it. It sparkled in the light that seemed to be coming from nowhere.

He approached it cautiously, and then he reached out to touch it, only to see that his suspicions were confirmed. It was infact a dark eco crystal that had been carved into the shape of a throne, and he felt a smile creep onto his paled face.

"Do you like it?"

Dark whirled around, his teeth bared, to meet the voice. What he saw had shocked him: it was a man. A simple man, down here in dark eco heaven. Dark furrowed his eyebrows, knowing that any normal person couldn't stay down here and not die from saturation. So, who was he?

"Patience, young one," the man spoke softly. His voice was raspy and sounded weary. Dark took a step back as he warily regarded the man. "This is something you must practice."

Dark tensed his arms and readied himself to pounce. He didn't like this man. He had the feeling of evil all around him, wearing something that resembled a Sage's outfit. He was decked out in long clothes that included a cape around his waist. He was floating inches above the ground and was held down by weights. It was almost as if the man radiated deception.

"I see you've changed," the man said. "You don't recognize me?"

Dark decided it was now the time to speak. He used his voice for the first time in a few years. "**You do not scare me**."

The man smiled. "Your dark side has taken a hold of you. Finally, you are able to see what I have held on to these many years."

It was then Dark knew who the man was, after digging through Jak's old memories. "**You're Gol. The Dark Eco Sage.**"

"Yes, young one."

Dark stared at him in wonder now. Jak hated this man, and for what? He seemed like a humble old man who shared an interest in dark eco. Dark began to get curious of the man's motives.

"**You are the one...who tried to open the silos?**"

Gol smiled deviously. "Yes. I would have succeeded, had your alter-ego not stopped me in the act. You see, young one, Jak was the one who stopped me from creating a better world, one filled with dark eco."

Dark looked at the sage suspiciously. "**That would destroy everything.**"

"Is that not what you want?"

Dark began to think. He wanted dark eco more than anything, but he couldn't do anything about it if he was constantly a parasite to someone else. He glanced back up at Gold. "**I am tethered to another soul. I can do nothing**_._"

Gol grinned. "Not if I release you."

Dark's ears perked.

"I can split you from those two cursed egos, and you will be free forever. Take heed; you will not be able to change form, and you will often feel out of control. But over time I think you will find it to be a worthwhile cause."

Dark grinned, ready to accept the invitation. "**I can be free?**"

"Forever."

"**I accept.**"

Gol floated over, his hand outstretched. Dark, not thinking of the consequences his actions may cause, closed his eyes. He felt as though his head were being pressed into itself, ready to explode, and then he felt himself being ripped into three pieces. He cried out as he was knocked backwards, landing on his back.

"What the hell did you _do_?"

Dark looked over and saw Jak, for the first time in person, staring at him in rage. He was also down on the ground, and when Dark looked to his left, he saw an angel feeling its arms as if to make sure they were real. Dark noted that he, himself, was indeed a completely separate form.

Jak stood up and lunged at Gol. "I'll kill you!"

Gol sent out a blast of darkness at the young elf, knocking him backwards and almost into the dark eco pool below them. Dark stood up fully, as did Light, and they began to notice something funny about Gol.

He seemed to be gathering energy from the dark eco around him. It flowed into him, giving him unimaginable power. "You _fool_! Now that you are weakened, I will take you to the death along with this world!"

Jak grabbed Dark and Light, who were still standing in shock, and started running towards the back of the tunnel. Gol was creating waves of dark eco that rose twenty feet into the air. He crashed them down to the ground and they chased after the three egos. Light made a quick decision and grabbed his two other selves, flying them upwards. This time, the silos were completely empty, because Gol was using the eco to chase the hero and his egos out.

Light flew out of the entrance and back over to the elevator. The entire silo erupted like a volcano, spurting out eco like lava. It ran down the sides of the monolith, eventually reaching the valley below and burning everything in its wake.

"Come on!" Jak shouted, and the three rode the elevator down, up and out of the citadel. They transported through the Warp Gate back to Samos's hut. That's where they stumbled in and noticed the horrifying truth.

Dark had unknowingly set off a chain of events that would allow the world to be flooded with eco. And they had no way to stop it.

**OHNOEES.**

**Lol, long chapter again! Yay! I've been typing this up over my snowdays.**

**Keep reviewing pl0x. :D**

**-Hero**


	9. The Precursor Stone

**I should probably do this now. xD**

**Um, sorry for the wait. It's . . . been a while? Even writing this author's note is taking around an hour. I blame Facebook. So, this chapter will be a longer one, hopefully to make up for my lack of updates.**

**We're actually reachin' the end. D:**

**But don't worry, because my JandD fangirl inside of me is yearning to write more and more everyday! :D**

**Anyway, enjoy!**

Jak felt lightheaded, like he had lost a lot of blood. As he stared at two replicas of himself, he wondered if he had died, or at least drowned in the Dark eco silo. But he was still alive, and he was still breathing air.

And the world was still being destroyed.

"Well, this is just fantastic," Light mumbled. "Wonderful. Now the world is drowning."

Dark growled. "You act like this is my fault."

"It is your fault!" Light shouted. "If you hadn't tried to split us up--"

"It was bound to happen, even without my help," Dark defended, plopping himself down on the hut floor to pick at the wood. "He wanted Jak out of the way."

"So he lured us there with the promise of Metal Heads and dragged us in. Thus, I reiterate: _fanfuckingtastic_."

Jak thought he was going insane. He glanced nervously between the two entities, which were now having a minor staring contest. "Do either of you know what's going on here?"

They whirled to him as if they just noticed him, glanced at each other, and then sighed simultaneously. It was off how Light and Dark's emotions and actions were fairly similar. He supposed the reason that he wasn't just split in half into his good and bad side was because he gained his two alter egos. They weren't representations of the good and evil inside him, they were other people with other minds. _ How_ they split, though, Jak could still not say.

"Gol has powers that we can't begin to understand," Light attempted to explain. "Splitting us was easy for him. It was simply a matter of where to split. He wanted you to be weak so you couldn't fight him."

"Fight him easily," Dark corrected. "If we team up against him, he doesn't stand a chance."

Jak would have replied, but at that moment, Keira and Daxter ambled through the hut's doorway. For a moment, they stood dumbfounded, staring at Jak and his egos with disbelief. After a few short seconds that felt like hours, Keira attempted to speak. She had tears dried on her face as though she had been crying for hours. She looked pale and worn.

"J-Jak?" she stuttered quietly. Her eyes seemed to ignore the other two egos. "I thought you were . . . ."

She trailed off, and then rushed at him while she started to cry again. She wrapped her arms around him quickly, enveloping him in a hug. Jak stood motionless, unsure how to respond.

"You were dead," she sobbed, muffling her cries with Jak's torn-up shirt. "You drowned in the Silo and . . . and . . . ."

He pulled her away to shoulder length. "I'm alright. When we went down in the Silos--"

"We?" she interrupted, and then she noticed the angel and the demon standing in the hut. Light shuffled his feet awkwardly, and Dark's eyes narrowed as eco cackled around his claws. She stopped crying and seemed incredulous.

"W-What the hell happened?" she said.

Jak attempted to grab her attention again. "In the Silos, Dark had control. Gol convinced him to make us split."

"Gol?!" Daxter screeched, jumping on Jak's shoulder and butting into the conversation. "But we locked his ass away! Right?"

"And when Dark told Gol he could split us up," Light said in response, "The door to the Silo stayed open. The world will drown in eco. By now, it's inevitable."

Keira covered her mouth in a gasp. "No!"

"Don't worry, Keira," Samos's voice said. They all turned to see him floating through the doorway.

"Don't worry? Are you crazy?" Daxter said to Samos. "Greenbag, the world's about to end. I think we reserve the right to freak out a little."

Samos normally would have made a smart remark to this comment, but now his face seemed sorrowful. He made his way o the window and sighed wearily. "Jak, you must find the Precursor Stone."

Jak, Dark, and Light all stood still. The Precursor Stone? It was the last Precursor egg in existence, and Jak had once used it to cure the darkness inside him. Why was it needed now? If it came into contact with the Dark eco, it would crack open and destroy the world with the outgoing blast.

"Wouldn't that be unsafe, Samos?" Light asked, perplexed. "It could be dangerous to have the Stone close to the Dark eco."

"Speaking of which, we should get the hell outta here," Dark grumbled. "None of us can survive that much eco."

Samos turned to the group with his eyes cast downward. "The Life Seed will keep this hut safe. No matter how high the eco goes, this place will always be safe. But the eco is coming quickly. The Metal Heads have stolen the Precursor Stone and taken it to Misty Island in the old Lurker stronghold. I don't know why they want it so badly, but you must retrieve it to keep it safe. Take the old boat to the Island, but hurry. The eco is flooding towards us as we speak."

Jak immediately stepped up to the task. "Of course. Light, Dark, you stay here. Dax, let's go."

"Why can't we go?" Dark whined. "We could help you take out Metal Heads."

"Because that would be a waste of your powers," Jak answered. "I can take a few Metal Heads, no problem."

Keira rolled her eyes. "So confident."

Jak scowled.

"I can't emphasize enough that you need to hurry back," Samos said sternly as Jak grabbed is morph gun off the floor. "This Stone needs to be here, safe, as soon as possible."

"I got it," Jak waved off. Samos just hung his head and watched the older teen run to the dock.

--

"Okay, we're here," Jak mumbled to himself as he tied the boat to the dock. As he ran his eyes along the misty shore, he started to feel chills go up his spine. This place was every bit as creepy as it used to be, and now, they had a Metal Head problem to worry about.

Daxter whimpered. "Man, I hate this place. It's worse than anything back in the future."

Jak nodded as he pulled out his Blaster. "Yeah. This place is always going to be on the Creepy List."

As he climbed the first cliff, he could easily see the old Lurker stronghold where his adventure first began. The Precursor metal gleamed in the moonlight, almost ominously, and Jak could feel the Stone's power already. Jak gasped as he looked in front of the strong hold, which was a series of rocks over an endless mist abyss. Scattered across the rocks were Metal Heads. Dozens and dozens were gathered, waiting and watching for their prey.

"Something tells me this might not be a cakewalk," Dax grumbled.

Jak didn't reply.

He started shooting, and his bullets hit their first target: a Grunt. It groaned in pain as the bullets shot through its skull and knocked the yellow gem loose. Suddenly, all the Metal Heads turned around and began to attack.

Jak was suddenly dodging Dark eco blasts from every direction. Damn Slingers could never leave him alone, could they? Jak grit his teeth and brought out his Needle Lazer, which automatically shot out at the Slingers. The creatures roared indignantly before falling.

But the attack wasn't over. Jak heard a particularly nasty scream from behind him, and turned to see a Juicer headed his way. The staff with the red gem on the top menacingly crackled with energy. Jak narrowed his eyes and shot out a grenade from his Plasmite RPG. The Metal Head died silently.

Jak fought his way through blood and skull gems, almost to the stronghold. Then, he saw what felt like his worst nightmare: an Ele-Beast, guarding the door with a crazed look in its yellow eyes. Quickly glancing behind him and seeing Stingers pop out of the dirt, he took his only option that would allow him to not be flanked. He whipped out his Super Nova and fired.

There was a thunderous roar as the world around him evaporated. When he opened his eyes, all of his attackers were gone. No remains, no skull gems, no blood. It was as if they had simply disappeared.

He rushed in through the door, quickly sending out some of his own eco energy to open it. When he reached the inside, he saw the stone sitting in the middle of the arena. He rolled his eyes and stood his ground.

"Seriously?" he asked. "You think I'm that stupid?"

He waited, but nothing answered him. He decided to humor their little trap and walked forward to grab the stone. To his surprise, he grabbed it. Nothing happened. He began to walk back through where he came. Still, nothing.

Quickly deciding to use his speed to his advantage, he ran for it. He expected to see armies chasing after him, making sure he died thinking he had accomplished something. But as he began to untie the boat from the dock, there was still nothing chasing after him.

As they set sail, Jak kept a lookout behind them, watching the Island. Halfway back, Daxter poked Jak's head.

"What?" Jak asked half-heartedly, keeping his gaze glued to the shoreline.

"J-Jak?" Daxter mumbled. "We have a problem. A big, _big_ problem."

He whirled around and stared in disbelief.

The Dark eco had been set loose on the world.

And it was currently infecting the sea.

Heading directly for their boat.

**Good place to leave off! :D**

**I debated quickly on whether or not to leave in Light saying "fanfuckingtastic". I've never said "fuck" in my writing before, at least not on purpose. But it fit. And I had to put it.**

**I don't think this story is quite up to M. So I'll keep the rating. It's just a bit of stuff you hear everyday, right? xD**

**Whateverrr!**

**See you guys later. Review please!**

**-Hero**


	10. Waiting Game

**Yay, chapter ten! Thanks so much for all the reviews, I really appreciate it. 3**

**On a side note, I actually have no idea how I'm going to get Jak and Dax off of this boat. We're just going to see how this goes. I have written an outline for this story, and I know how it's going to end. I'm going to bet that even YOU know how it will end. It is, after all, a fanfiction, so it's not my best work and a little predictable.**

**So, yeah. Let's um . . . see how they're going to live. I'm excited to find out. O.o;**

**PS, sorry for the wait. Again. I had all this stuff to do for school. I'm swamped!**

**Enjoy? xD**

Jak had to think quickly, because the eco was gaining fast. He looked north, and to his horror, saw eco seeping through the mountains and the hills. The dark stuff was swallowing everything and Jak knew it wasn't going to stop at the water. It would, however, turn all of the water into liquid death. He bit his lip and made a rash decision.

All around them, the eco was infecting the ocean. The wooden boat began to deteriorate beneath their feet. Jak called upon the powers that had been dormant for about half a year and produced a shield of green eco around his body. Even though he had lost his Light and Dark powers, he still had his normal level of Channeling ability to work with. He jumped out of the boat and made his way to the raised bit of rock that had Samos's hut on top. His shield began to falter, so he made a running leap over the eco and grabbed a hold of the rock face just as his shield disappeared. Daxter let out a sigh of relief.

"Whoa, that was close!" he exclaimed. Jak began to scale the rocks up to the hut. The dark eco below them began to rise, but not so fast that it would catch Jak on his way up. Once he reached the top of the cliff, he walked up the ramp of the hut.

"You're telling me," Jak mumbled in response. It had been far too close for comfort. Jak took one last look at the world to the north and couldn't help but stare. Everything was purple, and the reflection was turning the sky a light violet. He entered the hut, and Samos let out a breath.

"Thank goodness," Samos said quietly. "If you two had taken any longer, this place would be destroyed along with the rest of the world."

Sandover's residents were holed up in the hut, and Jak was glad that everyone made it out before the eco struck. A few children were playing hand games while their parents looked out at the world with tear-streaked faces. The sight tugged at Jak's heartstrings, so he quickly glanced back at Samos.

"The eco is rising," Jak said. "Slowly, but surely. How are we gonna keep this place safe?"

"The Life Seed's power should keep out anything we don't want to get in," Samos stated. "It should be able to create a shield, much like you can, but it will be stronger and will protect us better. Eventually, the eco will recede back into the earth and find its way back to the silos, but it will take a day or so. Either way, when we emerge, it is likely that everything will be destroyed completely. And you, of all people, should see where this is going."

Jak stared. "Do you mean . . . Mar? And since I'm Mar, I have to . . . build the city?"

"Not just the city," Light interjected. Jak couldn't believe he could have _more_ of a burden on his shoulders. "The eco grid. The shield wall system. The eco mines. And, not to mention, the tomb to keep the Precursor Stone safe."

"Where are we going to get the materials?" Jak asked incredulously. "All that steel? Even if the eco seeps back into the world and into the silos, everything will be infected with it."

Samos shrugged. "That's what the eco mine is for. We'll start there."

Dark shook his head and growled from the corner, "That's _after_ we kick Gol's ass. Does no one remember that douche bag is the reason we're going through all of this?"

Samos glared at Dark. He just raised his hands in innocence. "Just asking."

"We will deal with him beforehand," Samos said. "But right now, we should put up the shield and start thinking of plans."

Jak just shook his head and began to walk out the door. "You just get that shield up. I've had enough dropped on my head for one day."

He couldn't believe he hadn't seen it coming. Sure, he knew he had to go back and build the city at some point, but he had assumed the world wouldn't be destroyed when he did it. He assumed he would have materials to work with, a huge place to build from, and everything would be easy. Right now, everything was far from easy. He was split from his egos and had everything pushing down on him. He found his legs walking him towards Keira's part of the hut.

"Hey," he said. She was working on something on the workbench, and she glanced up with a smile when he walked in. "Have you looked outside?"

The smile faded from her face. "Yeah. I can't believe it."

He plopped himself down on her stool and put his hands to his head. "I can't do all this, Keira. It's so much. . ."

"I know," she said soothingly. "But it'll all work out. You'll see."

He rolled his eyes. "Keira, I don't know if you noticed, but we're all about to be drowned in death."

When he said this, a green shield shot up over the hut, and dark eco began to rise against it. Keira seemed to ignore the events occurring outside.

"It doesn't matter. We just have to work all of this out in an orderly manner."

"An orderly manner," Jak scoffed. "You're kidding me. The entire village is done. What are we supposed to do? I just built a city and everything will be alright? We know what happens to this place, Keira. There are wars, people are going to die, but I have to do it anyway for the sake of the future?"

Keira stayed silent before speaking again. "I know trying to stay positive is difficult, but we have to keep these people happy. If their mood drops, it's chaos. They're the citizens now. We have to protect them."

Jak started pacing, cracking his knuckles. "I don't want all these lives on my hands."

"In a few days, the eco will be gone. Then we can feel free to use the land however we want. With your eco powers, this'll be easy."

"Yeah, easy. I'll just use my _mind_ to build everything."

"Don't worry about it. I can help you with the mechanics of it. You can build the mines and get the right amount of eco out. We'll do fine."

Jak sighed. "You're right. I don't even know why I try to argue."

She smiled. "I'm always right."

For now, all they could do was wait and see.

**Yeah, I'm so done.**

**I've had a long three weeks, guys. I'm sorry for not updating, but AP classes are the worst. No breaksss. D: So, I know this is short and a long-time-coming, but I'm just going to end this here. It's rambling on. And on. When I write the next chapter, I might combine it with this one. I'm not sure yet. But there's a lot of crap to wade through that I might just summarize.**

**  
Not the fight with Gol, though. That'll be done! :D**

**Bai.**

**-Hero**


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